Listening to Music While You Work

Throughout history many people in a variety of job roles have used music to help increase their productivity. On boats it has been used to keep the rowers in rhythm and in factories to keep the staff happy and keep them from getting bored when undertaking repetitive tasks are just two examples of where listening to music while you work has proved valuable. Being pent up and anxious can cause you to stray from the task in hand which will of course cause you to find something else to occupy your mind.

Great for many working environments

Whether working at a desk in an office or from home, it‘s easier than ever to listen to music without worrying about disturbing others. Listening to music through noise cancelling headphones can stop you from becoming distracted by outside noises such as conversation, office equipment or even noise from outside. Just think about how you feel when a song comes on that you really like when you are in the middle of cleaning the house/car or are feeling tired when attempting a task. Its amazing how much actually gets done during the song! Afterwards another tune may slow you back down again, but if you have the right playlist you could get through your tasks faster than ever before and even surprise yourself.

Research has shown that in office workers an average increase of 14% productivity can be achieved by listening to music! Even a monotonous task can seem less so if it is completed to the beat of music you enjoy.

Different music for different tasks

Although you may have an idea of your favorite music, not all kinds are appropriate for the type of work you are undertaking. One example of this is that music with lots of words that get you involved, singing along, tapping to the beat can be counterproductive for research. Learning something new requires focus that pop music and other louder genres may not provide. The words in the songs are what your brain concentrates on instead leaving no room for it to process new information.

The volume of the music may need to be reduced or the type of music changed altogether to something more relaxing such as nature sounds or mellow classical. When working in an extremely noisy environment blasting out heavy metal music can also be counterproductive, especially when you need to communicate with other members of staff.

If you are undertaking a task that requires energy and something that is repetitive and relatively easy to do then an energetic tune will help you get through the task with a smile on your face. If you are doing a job that requires concentration then opt for something more relaxing to ensure your dopamine levels rise allowing you to focus.

Use comfortable headphones

What works for one person may not help another, especially as we all have our own likes and dislikes. This is where headphones can come in handy, the best kind being those that cancel out outside noise. ensure the headphones are comfortable as wearing something that feels alien to your body can be just as distracting as listening to the wrong type of music or the other people making noise in the workplace.